Acts 10.1-16 (Epistle)

1A u Æesariji bješe jedan èovjek po imenu Kornilije, kapetan od èete koja se zvaše Talijanska. 2Pobožan i bogobojazan sa cijelijem domom svojijem, koji davaše milostinju mnogijem ljudima i moljaše se Bogu bez prestanka; 3On vidje na javi u utvari oko devetoga sahata dnevi anðela Božijega gdje siðe k njemu i reèe mu: Kornilije! 4A on pogledavši na nj i uplašivši se reèe: što je Gospode? A on mu reèe: molitve tvoje i milostinje iziðoše na pamet Bogu; 5I sad pošlji u Jopu ljude i dozovi Simona prozvanoga Petra: 6On stoji u nekoga Simona kožara, kojega je kuæa kod mora: on æe ti kazati rijeèi kojima æeš se spasti ti i sav dom tvoj. 7I kad otide anðeo koji govori Korniliju, dozvavši dvojicu od svojijeh slugu i jednoga pobožna vojnika od onijeh koji mu služahu, 8I kazavši im sve posla ih u Jopu. 9A sjutradan kad oni iðahu putem i približiše se ka gradu, iziðe Petar u gornju sobu da se pomoli Bogu u šesti sahat. 10I ogladnje, i šæaše da jede; a kad mu oni gotovljahu, doðe izvan sebe, 11I vidje nebo otvoreno i sud nekakav gdje silazi na njega, kao veliko platno, zavezan na èetiri roglja i spušta se na zemlju; 12U kome bijahu sva èetvoronožna na zemlji, i zvjerinje i bubine i ptice nebeske. 13I postade glas k njemu: ustani, Petre! pokolji i pojedi. 14A Petar reèe: nipošto, Gospode! jer nikad ne jedoh što pogano ili neèisto. 15I gle, glas opet k njemu drugom: što je Bog oèistio ti ne pogani. 16I ovo bi triput, i sud se opet uze na nebo.

John 6.56-69 (Gospel)

56Koji jede moje tijelo i pije moju krv stoji u meni i ja u njemu. 57Kao što me posla živi otac, i ja živim oca radi; i koji jede mene i on æe življeti mene radi. 58Ovo je hljeb koji siðe s neba: ne kao što vaši ocevi jedoše manu, i pomriješe; koji jede hljeb ovaj življeæe vavijek. 59Ovo reèe u zbornici kad uèaše u Kapernaumu. 60Tada mnogi od uèenika njegovijeh koji slušahu rekoše: ovo je tvrda besjeda! ko je može slušati? 61A Isus znajuæi u sebi da uèenici njegovi vièu na to, reèe im: zar vas ovo sablažnjava? 62A kad vidite sina èovjeèijega da odlazi gore gdje je prije bio? 63Duh je ono što oživljava; tijelo ne pomaže ništa. Rijeèi koje vam ja rekoh duh su i život su. 64Ali imaju neki meðu vama koji ne vjeruju. Jer znadijaše Isus od poèetka koji su što ne vjeruju, i ko æe ga izdati. 65I reèe: zato vam rekoh da niko ne može doæi k meni ako mu ne bude dano od oca mojega. 66Od tada mnogi od uèenika njegovijeh otidoše natrag, i više ne iðahu s njim. 67A Isus reèe dvanaestorici: da neæete i vi otiæi? 68Tada mu odgovori Simon Petar: Gospode! kome æemo iæi? Ti imaš rijeèi vjeènoga života. 69I mi vjerovasmo i poznasmo da si ti Hristos, sin Boga živoga.

Our Holy Father Nikephoros the Hesychast (14th c.)

He was originally a Roman Catholic, but became Orthodox and lived in asceticism on the Holy Mountain as a monk. He was the spiritual father of St Gregory Palamas. His life was outwardly uneventful, and he reposed in peace in the 14th century. He left this very concise description of the hesychast’s path:

“Gather your mind and compel it to enter into your heart and remain there. When your mind is firmly in your heart, it must not remain empty, but must incessantly make the prayer: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me!’ And it must never fall silent. Through this the whole string of the virtues: love, joy, peace and the others, will make their abode in you, by which, then, every request of yours to God will be fulfilled.”

Virgin-martyr Pelagia of Tarsus in Asia Minor (287)

She was born in Tarsus (home of the Apostle Paul). Though her parents were prominent pagans, she heard of Christ from Christians in that city, and her heart was filled with love for the Savior. The Emperor Diocletian visited Tarsus, and during his stay the Emperor’s son and heir fell in love with Pelagia and wished to marry her. To her parents’ complete amazement, Pelagia replied that she was already promised to her betrothed, Christ the Lord. She then fled her parents’ house and went to the holy Bishop Linus, who instructed her in the Faith and baptized her. Pelagia then gave away all her many possessions, returned home, and told her parents that she was baptised. The Emperor’s son, despairing of marryng her, killed himself. Pelagia’s mother then denounced her daughter to the Emperor, who summoned her for trial. When Pelagia freely confessed her unwavering faith in Christ, the Emperor condemned her to be burned in a metal ox heated by fire. An account of her martyrdom says that, entering the ox with prayers of thanksgiving on her lips, she instantly melted like wax. Bishop Linus, who had baptised her, found a few of her bones and buried them on a hill near Tarsus. During the reign of the Emperor Constantine Copronymus (741-775), a church was built there in her honor.

St Monica, mother of Blessed Augustine (388)